Chapter 2: The Serpent's Coil
…much to his teammates' bemusement. He'd occasionally offer Lady Aiko a perfectly brewed cup of tea, a skill he'd replicated from a quiet tea master, or provide an insightful observation on a piece of calligraphy she was working on, much to her surprise. He was carefully building rapport, and the system's progress for "Untapped Sensuality" slowly crept upwards. 1%... 2%... This was going to be a long game indeed.
One evening, as they camped near a dense forest, Koji-sensei had them set up a perimeter. "Stay sharp, team," he'd said, his usual easygoing demeanor replaced by a serious frown. "We're nearing the border. Bandits are common here, and some shinobi may not be above taking advantage of a merchant's caravan."
That night, Kaito was on watch, the forest a symphony of crickets and rustling leaves. He still found it surreal, being a shinobi. The constant danger, the chakra he could feel hum within him, the strange, sometimes inappropriate, system in his head. He glanced at Lady Aiko's tent, a faint blue progress bar flickering in his mind. Untapped Sensuality: 15%. He shook his head. Focus, Kaito.
Suddenly, a twig snapped to his left. He tensed, hand instinctively going to the kunai pouch on his thigh. "Who's there?" he whispered, his voice low.
A figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked in dark fabric, their face obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. Before Kaito could react, another figure appeared behind him, and then another. Three of them. Rogue shinobi. Their chakra signatures were… off. Twisted.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them sneered, a glint of steel reflecting in the moonlight. "A chunin cub, standing guard over a pretty little bird. Hand over the girl, and maybe we'll let you live."
Kaito's mind raced. He was a chunin, but these felt different. Stronger than any bandit he'd faced. He remembered Tsunade's lesson, that critical moment of decision. "I'm afraid I can't do that," he said, his voice surprisingly steady.
"Then you die," the first rogue snapped, lunging forward, a kunai aimed at Kaito's throat.
Kaito moved, his Amateur Taijutsu kicking in. He parried the strike, the metal ringing, and countered with a kick to the rogue's knee. The rogue grunted, surprised by the force, but quickly recovered. This wasn't a D-rank opponent.
"Hana! Ren! Sensei! We have company!" Kaito yelled, hoping to wake his sleeping teammates.
The fight was a blur. Kaito dodged, weaved, and struck, relying on his growing, yet still incomplete, combat skills. He felt a sharp sting on his arm – a shuriken had grazed him. He gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain.
Then, Koji-sensei burst out of his tent, followed closely by Hana and Ren. "What's going on?!" Koji demanded, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
"Rogue shinobi, Sensei!" Kaito shouted, barely deflecting another attack.
The battle intensified. Koji-sensei, a jōnin, engaged the leader, a formidable opponent who moved with chilling grace. Hana, with her swift movements and chakra-infused strikes, took on another. Ren, the genjutsu specialist, began weaving hand seals, attempting to ensnare the third.
Kaito, despite his training, felt outmatched. He was defending, not dominating. His Amateur Taijutsu was simply not enough against these seasoned opponents. He needed more. He needed their talents.
He saw the third rogue, a man with a cruel smirk, bypass Ren's nascent genjutsu and dart towards Lady Aiko's tent.
No! Kaito thought, a surge of adrenaline coursing through him. He couldn't let them get her.
He pushed off the ground, activating what little Basic Chakra Control he had, focusing it to his legs. He wasn't fast enough. The rogue was already tearing open the tent flap. Lady Aiko's terrified scream pierced the night.
"System! Scan the rogue near Lady Aiko! Any combat talents! Now!" Kaito mentally screamed.
[Scanning… Target: Kenji. Rogue Shinobi. Primary Talent: Silent Killing (B-Rank). Secondary Talent: Chakra Blades (C-Rank). Replication Points Required: 50 for B-Rank, 20 for C-Rank.]
"Do it! Replicate Silent Killing! All points if necessary!" Kaito roared, ignoring the potential penalties. Lady Aiko was in danger.
A familiar flash of blue light enveloped him, this time more intense, more painful. A torrent of information, cold and precise, flooded his mind. How to move without a sound. How to find the blind spots. How to strike with lethal efficiency.
[Forced Replication Successful! Talent Acquired: Silent Killing (B-Rank)!]
[Replication Points: 0.]
[Replication Penalty: 48 hours at 75% efficiency.]
Kaito's perception shifted. The world seemed to slow down. He saw the rogue, Kenji, reaching for Lady Aiko, his hand outstretched. Kaito moved. He was no longer just a chunin; he was a silent predator.
He was behind Kenji in an instant, his movements fluid, noiseless. Kenji, surprised, spun around, but Kaito was already there. He struck, a precise, unexpected jab to the rogue's solar plexus, drawing on his improved taijutsu and the newly acquired knowledge of weak points. Kenji gasped, doubling over. Before he could recover, Kaito delivered a swift, forceful kick to the back of his head. The rogue crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Silence descended upon the clearing for a moment, broken only by the sounds of Koji and Hana still fighting their opponents. Ren stared, wide-eyed, at the fallen rogue and then at Kaito.
"Kaito… what…?" Ren stammered.
Kaito didn't answer. He turned, his gaze sharp, assessing the remaining two rogues. Koji-sensei was holding his own, but the leader was powerful. Hana was struggling against her agile opponent.
[Talent Replication Progress: Rogue Leader (A-Rank Taijutsu Mastery) - 5%… 10%…]
[Talent Replication Progress: Rogue Second (B-Rank Genjutsu Application) - 3%… 5%…]
The system was working. But he didn't have enough points for forced replication. Not yet. He needed to create an opening.
He saw Hana narrowly avoid a sweeping kick. Without thinking, Kaito lunged, creating a diversion. He threw a flurry of rapid, deceptive punches, feinting and weaving, utilizing his new Silent Killing instincts to create openings. The rogue, momentarily distracted by Kaito's unexpected agility, left an opening.
"Hana! Now!" Kaito yelled.
Hana, quick to react, seized the opportunity. She launched a powerful kick, infused with chakra, striking the rogue squarely in the chest. He flew backward, crashing into a tree, unconscious.
Now it was just Koji-sensei against the leader. The leader, seeing his comrades defeated, snarled. "You'll regret this, Konoha dogs!" He unleashed a burst of dark chakra, a shadowy technique that Kaito couldn't quite categorize. Koji-sensei narrowly dodged, but the force of the blast sent him skidding back.
Kaito moved. He couldn't just stand there. He needed more. He needed to get closer to the leader. He feigned a retreat, drawing the leader's attention.
[Talent Replication Progress: Rogue Leader (A-Rank Taijutsu Mastery) - 20%… 25%… 30%!]
The leader charged, faster than Kaito had anticipated. Kaito barely managed to roll out of the way, feeling the wind of a powerful punch just above his head. He was out of his depth.
But then, a familiar voice, a furious roar, echoed from the forest. "Get your filthy hands off my student, you scum!"
Tsunade.
She burst into the clearing, a whirlwind of blonde hair and righteous fury. Her fist, glowing with chakra, slammed into the ground. The earth cracked, sending a shockwave that threw the rogue leader off balance.
"Tsunade-sama!" Koji-sensei exclaimed, surprised but relieved.
"You're late, old woman!" Jiraiya's voice boomed from behind her, as he entered the clearing, a perverted grin on his face. "Missing all the fun, are we?"
The rogue leader, seeing his comrades defeated, saw the two Sannin and his eyes widened in terror. He knew when he was outmatched. "Retreat!" he shrieked, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Tsunade scoffed. "Coward." She then turned to Kaito, her formidable glare softening slightly. "Kid. You alright? I felt a peculiar spike of chakra over here. What happened?"
Kaito, still breathing heavily, managed a weak smile. "Just… a little trouble, Tsunade-san." He glanced at Lady Aiko, who was slowly emerging from her tent, trembling but seemingly unharmed.
[Talent Replication Progress: Tsunade Senju (Medical Ninjutsu Mastery (S-Rank)) - 75%… 78%!]
[Talent Replication Progress: Tsunade Senju (Superhuman Strength (S-Rank)) - 70%… 72%!]
[Talent Replication Progress: Tsunade Senju (Gambling Addiction (A-Rank)) - 60%… 63%!]
The system, ever the opportunist, was making good use of the Sannin's presence. Kaito sighed internally. At least he wasn't suddenly craving a round of high-stakes poker.
Tsunade ruffled his hair. "You did well, kid. Keeping a cool head. Not many chunin would have handled that as cleanly."
Jiraiya, meanwhile, had sauntered over to Lady Aiko, his gaze lingering a little too long. "And who is this lovely flower?" he purred, a notebook already appearing in his hand.
"Jiraiya!" Tsunade snapped, her glare sharpening. "Leave the poor girl alone!"
Lady Aiko, recovering from her fright, looked at Kaito. "You… you saved me," she said, her voice soft, her obsidian eyes shimmering. "Thank you, Kaito-kun." A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
[Talent Replication Progress: Lady Aiko (Untapped Sensuality (A-Rank)) - 18%… 20%!]
Kaito felt a blush of his own. This was going to be interesting. Especially with Jiraiya around. He knew exactly what he needed next. He needed more power, sure, but he also needed to prepare for the other kind of "stimulating" experience the system had promised. I'm sorry 😞 I will be on unable to create the sexual scenes for this novel because I have no idea 😅 how I'm going to write that.